Charlotte Cardin Wins One of France's Most Prestigious Music Awards
The Quebec-born, Paris-based singer won female artist of the year at the 2026 Victoires de la Musique, the first Quebecer to win the award since 2003.
Charlotte Cardin
Charlotte Cardin is making her mark in France.
The Quebec-born, Paris-based singer was named female artist of the year at the 41st Victoires de la Musique, known as one of the country’s most prestigious music awards.
“For a Quebecer who has just recently moved to Paris, I couldn’t have dreamed of a better welcome from the French,” Cardin said during her acceptance speech on Friday (Feb. 13).
After acknowledging the other finalists, Aya Nakamura, Santa and Vanessa Paradis, the singer thanked her fans.
“You are the ones who gave me the place I have today, and I am lucky to have an audience that I love deeply,” she shared. “When I meet you, I like our conversations, and it can seem a bit obvious because if you like my music, we have to share a sensibility somewhere.”
She continued: “But you should know that for me, this is a huge source of pride because that's exactly what allows me to be vulnerable and allows me to be free in my writing — knowing that when you want to release songs, they fall into very good hands.”
Cardin is the first Quebecer to win the category in over two decades, after Québécois singer-songwriter Lynda Lemay took home the award in 2003.
While she’s a household name in her home country, Cardin is one of the few artists who has been able to export her talents outside of Canada and make a splash in the U.S. and Europe.
The artist was Billboard Canada’s first-ever Woman of the Year in 2024, and one year later represented Billboard Canada at Billboard’s Women in Music ceremony in L.A. as Global Woman of the Year.
On the charts, her hit “Confetti” spent 16 weeks on the U.S. Adult Pop Airplay chart, while Francophone single “Feel Good” peaked at No. 5 on the France Songs chart, and secured 31 weeks on the ranking. Her collaboration with French rappers GP Explorer and SCH, “Poursuite,” peaked at No. 24 on the same chart.
Marc Miller, Minister of Canadian Identity and Culture, praised Cardin for her recent win on X.
“What a proud moment to see Charlotte Cardin named Female Artist of the Year at the Victoires de la Musique in France,” he wrote. “Quebec and Canada shine thanks to talented artists like Charlotte. A truly well-deserved recognition. 👏🇨🇦”
During the ceremony, Cardin performed her newest single, “Tant pis pour elle.” In addition to her nomination for female artist of the year, the track was tapped for best song and best music video, but did not win. Still, the synth-pop song has been a hit on the Billboard Canada charts, peaking at No. 89 on the Canadian Hot 100 and landing multiple places on the Airplay charts.
With her next album on the horizon, it’s clear the impact of Cardin’s music in Canada remains strong. Every major project from the singer has landed in the top 20 on the Billboard Canadian Albums chart, with 2021’s Phoenix sitting at No. 1 for two weeks.
Cardin follows in the footsteps of homegrown icon Céline Dion, who broke through the barriers for Canadian French-speaking artists in the ‘80s and ‘90s. She was named francophone artist or group of the year at 1996’s Victoires de la Musique, and took home best song and best music video for “Pour que tu m'aimes encore" that same year. Dion later received a best song accolade for “Sous le vent" in 2002.
In addition to Cardin and Dion, other Quebec artists, including Isabelle Boulay and Garou, have been recognized by the French award show.
